Sign-holder



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SIGN HULDER.

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1 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WLLIAM A. ULREY, OF PIPESVILLE, HIO.

SIGN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,639, dated February14, 1899.

Application filed November 13 1897. Serial No. 65 8,503. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. ULREY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Pipesville,KnoX county, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improve' ments in Sign-Holders; and my preferredmanner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full,clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularlyspecifying the novelty.

This invention relates to advertising, and more especially to that classof devices used for exhibiting purposes, known as card-exhibitors; andthe object of the same is to produce an improved article of this kindparticularly adapted tothe use of farmers, stockraisers, and the likeliving off the main road, so that they can have a constant advertisementwithin sight of passers-by.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinafter morefully set forth, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of this invention in place. Fig.2 is a vertical section with the parts separated. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the card rack, partly broken away, and this View shows indotted lines the position a lamp would occupy when the parts areassembled, provided transparent cards were used.

This invention comprises a support, a casing, a card-rack, (preferablyheld in the casing by a lock,) the signs or cards, and a suitable lamp,if it is desired to use one in connection with transparent signs. Theseparts will now be described in detail as illustrated in the drawings,although it will be understood that considerable change maybe madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention. While the variousparts are of any desired sizes, shapes, proportions, and materials suchas will effect the desired ends, I reserve the right to make suchalterations and improvements as come within the scope of this myspecification, describing only the preferred form of the whole and itsparts.

The support is an upright piece of board or plank 1, attached to a treeor post standing alongside the roadway and within convenient sight ofpassers-by, whereby the sign may be read by all who pass, although theresidence or place of business of the advertiser may be remote.

The casing C is preferably of galvanized iron or some metal treated withacoating of heavy paint, japan, or the like to render it weatherproof.It comprises a closed back 2, through which pass screws or bolts 3, thatattach it to the board 1, closed bottom 4, and

their upper ends, so as to form upwardly-extending ears for a purpose toappear below. At the front edges of the bottom and sides are formedgrooves 7, constituting guides for receiving the edges of a pane ofglass 8, which can be slipped in or removed from the top, as forcleaning or replacing 'when cracked or broken. The whole is water-tightexcepting at its top, which is open.

The card-rack R may be of tin or other` light metal. It comprises aclosed back 10, sur mounted by an upwardly-curved cover 11, shaped so asto fit closely over the ears of the casing and extending lengthwise forsome distance beyond them, so as to prevent rain or sleet from beatingin under it, and the lower edges of this roof or cover has eaves 12 forcarrying off the water that falls upon the cover itself. The rack R alsohas an openwork front, preferably composed of upright strips 13,standing at some distance in front of the back 10 and connectedtherewith at their upper and lower ends by rearwardlybent feet 14, andacross these strips are soldered or otherwise secured grooved strips 15,open at their ends and forming guides for the reception of the signs.The whole is of a size to be passed down into the open upper end of thecasing, so that the cover or roof shall thoroughly protect it from theelements.

P designates a lock, here shown as a padlock 20, taking through an eye21, projecting from the end of the casing, while a hasp 22 is hinged, asat 23, under one end of the roofin convenient position to fall over sucheye. The lock prevents the separation of the parts by unauthorizedpersons, and as the rack and glass must be removed before the screws 3can be reached the lock also prevents the removal of the entire devicefrom thesupport.

The signs S are preferably of stout card, inscribed on one or both faceswith proper or desirable reading matter and conveying the leg- .closedsides 5, preferably rounded, as at 6, at

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end desired to be read by all who pass. I 2. In a sign-holder, thecombination with have here shown the device as containing space for twoof such cards-the upper bearing the names of such articles or kinds ofstock as are for sale and the lower bearing the Words For sale by,followed by the name of the owner and possiblyby the price, terms,directions to his place of business or house, and such other readingmatter as desired. As soon as one of the articles is sold the merchantunlocks and opens this sign-holder, removes the card bearing the articlealready disposed of, and inserts another with the name of something newor additional which he yet has for disposal. It Will be obvious,however, that the reading matter on the signs forms no part of thepresent invention, for by properly changing it this iniproved devicecould be made to serve a multitude of purposes, all of which arecontemplated by me.

As a slight modification I might make the signs of some transparentmaterial, such as glass with opaque letters, (or the reverse,) omit thecentral upright strip 13, and also possibly the ears, pierce the casingwith airinlet holes, as at 30, and seat a small lamp L within the casingbefore inserting the rack and signs. Then the light from the lamp wouldat night shine through the transparent portions of the signs and throughthe glass front of the casing and the nocturnal traveler or passer-bycould read. I also Wish to include the possible use of signs paintedwith phosphorous letters or those rendered luminous in any manner.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

l. In a sign-holder, the combination With a casing having closedtransparent front and open only at its top; of an independent rackcarrying the signs proper and adapted to enter the upper end of thecasing, a roof on the rack wider and longer than the other parts, and alock for connecting the casing and rack, as and for the purpose setforth.

a casing having closed back, bottom, and sides and upright grooves inthe front edges of said bottom and sides, the top of the casing andupper ends of the grooves being open, and a pane of glass removablyseated in said grooves; of an independentrack carrying the signs properand adapted to enter the open end of the casing, and a roof fixed to therack and Wider and longer than the parts it covers, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a sign-holder, the combination with a substantially rectangularcasing with a transparent front, and upwardly-extending ears on itssides rounded at their upper edges; of an independent rack carrying thesigns proper and removably inserted within the casing, anupwardly-rounded roof carried by the rack and fitting closely over theupper edges of said ears, the root being Wider andlonger than the partsit covers, and eaves along its lower side edges, all as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a sign-holder, the combination with a suitable casing; of a rackremovable therefrom and comprising a back, upright strips havingrearwardly-proj ectin g feet secu red to the back, and transversegrooved strips attached to said upright strips; and signs rcmovablyinserted in the grooves thereof, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a sign-holder, the combination with a casing having a transparentfront, and a lamp Within such casing; of an independent rack adapted tobe inserted from the top into such casing and comprising a back to gobehind the lamp and a front to go in front of it and having groovedstrips, and transparent signs proper removably mounted in the grooves ofsaid strips, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature on this the11th day of November, A. D. 1897.

WILLIAM A. ULREY. l/Vitnesses:

W. M. EARLYWINE, J. M. FAWcn'rT.

